Annual Salary
£24,000 to £50,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors
Seismologists study shock waves created by earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. They also work in oil, gas and minerals exploration.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends; occasionally
There will be
2.4% more Seismologist jobs in 2027.
As a seismologist, you could:
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
You could work at a research facility, at a university or in a laboratory.
Your working environment may be physically active, outdoors in all weathers and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You can do a degree or postgraduate qualification in:
Many employers will expect you to be working towards a PhD on a relevant research project.
You'll usually need:
You could start as a PhD research assistant, for example in a university Earth sciences or geophysics engineering department. With further training and experience you could become a seismologist.
You can discover more about working in seismology from The Geological Society and the British Geological Survey.
You could become a project co-ordinator or manager with a seismic research organisation, university or energy company.
In a university post, once you've got experience and published original research, you could become a senior research fellow or professor.
You'll need: